Pipe handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pipe handling apparatus includes a support base extending longitudinally and disposable proximate a pipe handling rig. A lifting base is movably attached to the support base. The apparatus has means for moving the lifting base longitudinally along the support base, an intermediate support frame coupled to the lifting base and a vertical lifting device coupled between the intermediate support frame and the lifting base. The vertical lifting device is configured such that through an entire lift motion thereof, the intermediate support frame remains in a same plane as the lifting base. A pipe handling channel is pivotally coupled at one end to the intermediate support frame. Means for elevating the other end of the pipe handling channel are coupled to the intermediate support frame and the pipe handling channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to the field of apparatus for movingsegmented pipe joints between storage containers and drilling orworkover units. More specifically, the disclosure relates to suchapparatus having particular operational features to increase efficiencyand safety.

Drilling and workover hoisting systems (rigs), particularly those usedon land, transport jointed pipe used in wellbore construction andworkover operations in containers moved by truck to the place where therig is disposed during operation. The segmented pipe containers hold thepipe segments generally horizontally. Devices known in the art formoving pipe segments to the rig typically accept one or more pipesegments into a channel or boom and raise the channel or boom to aselected angle from approximately ground level. Once the pipe segmentsare elevated to the selected angle, apparatus disposed on the rig maylift the elevated pipe segment to an approximately vertical orientationso that it can be used in the drilling or workover operation. Thereverse procedure may be used to return the pipe segments to thecontainer after they are no longer needed in the drilling or workoveroperation. Such apparatus for moving the pipe from the container to therig and back are known in the art as “laydown machines.”

Because of the angle required to elevate the pipe segments to gainaccess to the rig, a number of safety issues are of concern to the rigoperator, not least of which is the elevation angle itself. The requiredlifting angle may also slow down pipe movement operations in order toincrease safety. There exists a need for a pipe laydown machine that ismore efficient and increases safety over those laydown machines known inthe art.

SUMMARY

A pipe handling apparatus according to one aspect includes a supportbase extending longitudinally and disposable proximate a pipe handlingrig. A lifting base is movably attached to the support base. Theapparatus has means for moving the lifting base longitudinally along thesupport base, an intermediate support frame coupled to the lifting baseand a vertical lifting device coupled between the intermediate supportframe and the lifting base. The vertical lifting device is configuredsuch that through an entire lift motion thereof, the intermediatesupport frame remains in a same plane as the lifting base. A pipehandling channel is pivotally coupled at one end to the intermediatesupport frame. Means for elevating the other end of the pipe handlingchannel are coupled to the intermediate support frame and the pipehandling channel.

Other aspects and advantages will be apparent from the description andclaims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overview pipe handling apparatus disposed proximate adrilling rig.

FIG. 2 shows an example pipe handling apparatus in oblique view.

FIG. 3 shows the example pipe handling apparatus in end view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an example pipe handling apparatus 10 in position to lift asegment 104 of jointed pipe or tubing onto the floor 106 of a drillingor workover rig 100. The segment of pipe 104 may be lifted by a line(102 as shown), elevators from a top drive or other apparatus known inthe art. Segments of pipe may be stored on a rack 103. The rigillustrated in FIG. 1 may be used on the land surface, however, thecomponents of the pipe handling apparatus described herein may also beused on any form of marine drilling unit, whether bottom supported orfloating. Accordingly, the type of drilling or workover rig is notintended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The example pipe handling apparatus 10 may be observed in more detail inFIG. 2, with many of the components shown in the position they will bewhen a segment of pipe is moved to or from the rig (100 in FIG. 1) forclarity of the illustration. The pipe handling apparatus 10 componentsmay be substantially entirely disposed on a transport track 12. Thetransport track 12 may be lifted on to a truck (not shown) for movementto and from the position proximate the rig as shown in FIG. 1. A liftingbase track 14 may be engaged to the transport track 12 using rollers 14Aor other friction reducing device to enable longitudinal movement of thelifting base track 14 along the transport track 12. Longitudinalmovement of the lifting base track 14 relative to the transport track 12may be performed, for example, using an hydraulic cylinder 14B, althoughother devices, for example and without limitation, such as screw andballnut assemblies may be used.

The lifting base track 14 and other components are shown in FIG. 2 inthe position they would be when moving a segment of pipe from the rig(as shown in FIG. 1) to a transport channel 26, or vice versa. Verticallifts, such as scissors lifts, may be coupled to each lateral side thelifting base track 14. The scissors lifts may each include a firstscissors arm 20A, coupled by a centrally located pivot 20C to a secondscissors arm 20B. One end of the bottom of the first scissors arms 20Amay be fixedly, pivotally coupled to the lifting track 14. The bottom ofthe second scissors arms 20B may be movably connected to the liftingbase track 14, for example using rollers (not shown) or sliding bearings(not shown). An hydraulic cylinder 21 may be used to expand and contractthe distance between the bottoms of the first 20A and second scissors20B arms to cause the upper ends of the first and second scissors arms,20A, 20B respectively to lift vertically out of the plane of the liftingbase track 14. An intermediate support frame 22 may be coupled to theupper ends of the scissors arms 20A, 20B. One of the upper ends of thescissors arms, for example first scissors arms 20A may be pivotallycoupled to an end of the intermediate support frame 22. The other upperend of the other scissors arms, e.g., second scissors arms 20B, may bemovably coupled to the intermediate support frame 22. Other types ofvertical lifts may be used in other examples, however, the principle ofoperation is that the intermediate support frame moves vertically, i.e.,in the same plane, as the lifting base track 14 from its fully liftedposition as shown to its fully lowered position on top of the liftingbase track 14.

The intermediate support frame 22 may support a pipe handling channel26. The pipe handling channel 26 may be coupled at one end by a pivot(30 in FIG. 3) to one end of the intermediate support frame 22. Anhydraulic cylinder 24 may connect the pipe handling channel 26 to theintermediate support frame 22 to enable elevating one end of the pipehandling channel 26. When elevated as shown in FIG. 2, one or moresegments of pipe (FIG. 1) may be removed from the pipe handling channel26 by suitable equipment on the rig (see FIG. 1) or returned thereto.After transfer of the segment(s) of pipe (see FIG. 1), the hydrauliccylinder may be lowered so that the channel 26 is horizontal, as is theintermediate support frame 22. The lifting base track 14 may be movedaway from the rig, e.g., using the hydraulic cylinder 14B so that theend of the channel 26 clears the rig (FIG. 1). The intermediate supportframe 22 may then be lowered by operating the hydraulic cylinder 21connected to the scissors arms 20A, 20B (or other vertical liftingdevice). During the lifting or lowering of the intermediate supportframe 22, the channel 26 is maintained in a horizontal orientation forsafety. It should also be noted that by maintaining the intermediatesupport frame in the described orientation, motion of the channel islimited so that the pipe segment(s) therein cannot fall out of the openend of the channel 26, thus limiting risk of dropping the pipesegment(s) therein.

When one or more segments of pipe are returned to the pipe handlingchannel 26, and referring to FIG. 3, one or more friction elements 32disposed proximate the back end of the channel may help slow the rate ofmovement of the pipe segment(s) for safety purposes. The back end of thepipe handling channel 26 may include a stop (28A in FIG. 2) to preventfurther movement of the pipe segment(s) out of the back of the pipehandling channel 26. When the intermediate support frame 22 is fullylowered, the pipe handling channel 26 may be rotated to enable removingthe pipe segment(s) to pipe handling device. Locking pins 31A, 31B maybe selectively removed to enable rotation of the pipe handling channel26 so that the pipe segment(s) may be rolled onto the pipe handlingdevice

The pipe handling device may include L-shaped arms 16 operated byrespective hydraulic cylinders 18. The handling device may be used forboth removing segment(s) of pipe from the container (103 in FIG. 1) tobe moved to the rig (FIG. 1) and to return such segment(s) the container(103 in FIG. 1).

Power to operate the various hydraulic cylinders, e.g., 24, 21, 14B maybe provided by a remotely located pump and reservoir, and coupled tocontrol valves 27 used to operate the pipe handling apparatus. Similarconfiguration may be used in the case of an electrically poweredapparatus, e.g., using motors, jack screws and ball nuts.

A pipe handling apparatus according to the present disclosure mayprovide increased safety and efficiency when transferring segments ofpipe between a storage container (pipe rack) and a drilling or workoverrig.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by theattached claims.

1. A pipe handling apparatus, comprising: a support base extendinglongitudinally and disposable proximate a pipe handling rig; a liftingbase movably attached to the support base; means for moving the liftingbase longitudinally along the support base an intermediate support framecoupled to the lifting base; a vertical lifting device coupled betweenthe intermediate support frame and the lifting base such that through anentire lift motion thereof, the intermediate support frame remains in asame plane as the lifting base; a pipe handling channel pivotallycoupled at one end to the intermediate support frame, the pipe handlingchannel rotatable disposed within the intermediate support frame toenable rotation of the pipe handling channel with reference to itslongitudinal axis with respect to the intermediate support frame; a lockselectively disengageable when the vertical lifting device is fullyretracted such that longitudinal rotation of the pipe channel is enabledonly when the vertical lifting device is fully retracted; and means forelevating the other end of the pipe handling channel.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein the means for moving the lifting base comprises anhydraulic cylinder.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the verticallifting device comprises a pair of scissor arms on each side of thelifting track and intermediate support frame, and an hydraulic cylinderto move the scissors arms along the lifting track.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the means for elevating comprises an hydraulic cylinder.5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising pipe handing device tomove segments of pipe between the pipe handling channel and a storagerack.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pipe handling devicecomprises a plurality of L-shaped arms each coupled to a respectivehydraulic cylinder, each cylinder coupled at one end to the liftingbase.